barber



H. M. BARBER.

SHEET CUTTING AND FOLDING MACHINE.

APPUCATION FILED JUNE 4.1915.

Patented A110. 1, 1916.

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H. NI. BARBER.

SHEET CUTTING AND FOLDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4. I9I5.

l l 93,449 v A Patented Aug. 1, 191.6.

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H. M. BARBER.

SHEET CUTTING AND FOLDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4. 1915.

1,193,449. y Patented Aug. 1,1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

...E Nam.. um no.. www@ Mmmm v HOWARD M. BARBER, OF STONINGTON, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO C. B. COTTRELL 85 SONS COMPANY, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

A SHEET CUTTING AND FOLDING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1, 1916.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, `HOWARD M. BARBER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Stonington, in the county of New London and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Sheet Cutting and Folding Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide means whereby the speed of continuously moving groups of sheets may be retarded and the groups of sheets folded off at a surface speed less than the speed of travel of the web as it passes through the press and into the outing and folding machine.

In sheet cutting and folding machines as heretofore produced where the folding mechanism operated at the speed of the press, the output of the press was materially limitedby the inability of the folding mechf ani'sm to act successfully at as high a speed as the press was 'capable of operating, the speed of the press being thereby necessarily tied down to the highest efficient speed of the folding mechanism.

By my invention, a folding mechanism operating at a lesser' speed than that of the press can be used in conjunction with the press without additional strain on the folding mechanism thereby permitting therunning ofthe press at a much higher rate of speed than heretofore possible.

A practical embodiment of my invention is representedin the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure 1 represents the machine in side elevation, Fig. 2 represents a diagrammatic section taken from front to rear intermediate the side frames, and Fig. 3 represents a section taken from front to rear adjacentto the far side frame.

The near side frame of the machine is denoted by 1 and the far side frame by 2.

' The web as it passes from the press, not shown herein, is led over the roller 3 and from thence downwardly between the pair of coacting rotary cutters 4, 5, carriedl by suitable shafts 6, 7, mounted in bearings on the side frames 1, 2. In the present instance, this pair of coacting rotary cutters 4, 5, are shown as having three sets of coacting blades. The web passes through the cutters 4, 5, and the feed rollers 8, 9, to a rotary collecting cylinder 10 carried by a shaft 11, which collecting cylinder is herein shown as having three sets of grippers 12, 13 14. t n

",lhe collecting cylinder 10 coacts with the lirst'transfer cylinder 15 carried by the shaft 16, which cylinder is'provided with one set of grippers 17. A sheet guide 18 extends partway around the collecting cylinder 10 and a sheet guideA 19 extends partway around 'the first transfer cylinder 15. The second transfer cylinder, denoted by 20, is carried by the shaft 21 and isl provided with a set of grippers 22, which grippers are arranged to coact with the set of grippers 17 of the first transfer cylinder to receive a group of sheets therefrom. The male folding cylinder 23 is carried by the shaft 24 andit is provided with two sets of grippers 25, 26, and two folding blades 27, 28. The grippers 25, 26, are arranged to successively coact withl the grippers 22 of the second transfer cylinder `20 for receiving the group of sheets therefrom.

' A sheet guide 29 extends partway around the male folding cylinder 23. The female folding cylinder 30 is carried by the shaft 31 and it is provided with two sets of folding jaws 32, 33, arranged to coact, respectively, with the folding blades 27, 28, of the male folding cylinder 23.

The delivery cylinder 34 -isy carried by the shaft 35 and is provided with a set of grippers 36 arranged to successively receive the folded groups `of sheets from the folding jaws 32, 33, and deliver the sheets to any desired delivery device, such as the endless pocketed delivery carrier 37.

The folded groups of sheets may be slit lengthwise of their travel on the delivery t cylinder 34 into two or more sections by one or more slitting disks 38 carried by the shaft 39.

The rotary cutters 4, 5, the collecting cylinder 10, and the yfirst transfer cylinder 15, are driven at the speed of the web and the press through the train of gears 40, 41, 42, 43, '44, 45,46, 47, 48. --The folding cylinders 23, 30, and the delivery cylinder: 34, are driven at substantially half the surface speed of the web through the train of gears 49, 5o, 51. carrier 37 is driven at the desired relative speed to bring its pockets into position to rllhe endless pocketed delivery receive the signaturesv from thedelivery cyl tion to openk the grippers k36 of the delivery 65 inder 34 by the train of gears 'designated' by the numeral 52. N f Thesecond.transfercylinder`21is driven ata variable surface speed from the firstv transfer cylinder through the yirregular gears 53, 54, the relationship of these gears being such that the grippers 22, on the second transfer reel will be traveling at the surface speed ofthe first transfer cylinder 15 at the time the group of sheets are `transferred from-thegrippers 17 of the first vtransfer` cylinder and the surface speed of the grippers 22 will be reduced to the surface speedof the male folding cylinder 23 at the timethe sheets are transferred from the grippers 22 to the grippers 25 or 26.

In the arrangement of the parts herein shown, 'a collected groupof four sheets is transferred to the first transfer cylinder 15 everyone and one third revolution of the collecting cylinder 10 and every revolution ofthe first transfer cylinder 15.

. The speed of the grouping of sheets is reducedby the second transfer cylinder 20 so that they are traveling at substantially onehalf their original speed when transferred to the grippers 25 or 26 of the male folding cylinder 23. f v

It will thus be v'seen that .two groups of sheets` are transferred to the male folding cylinder 23 every revolution of the male folding cylinder. yThese groups of sheets are successively folded off to the female folding cylinder 30 and Afrom thence .transferred successively to the delivery cylinder 34 where they may be slit'and delivered to the pocketed delivery carrier 37.

s cylinder.

A movable cam 55 is arranged in position to open the grippers of the collecting cylinder at the proper times to transfer the collected groups of sheets to the first transfer Stationary cams 56, v57, are arranged in position to operate the grippers 17 of the first transfer ycylinderfl at the proper times to receive and transferY the groups of sheets; Stationary cams 58, 59, are arranged in position to operate the grippers 22of the second transfer cylinderat the proper time to receive and transfer the groups of sheets. Stationary grippers 60, 61, are provided for operating the grippers 25V and 26 at the Y. proper times to receive and release the `livering the folded Y delivery cylinder 34.

groups of sheets.

Albox cam 62 is provided for floating the folding jaws 32, 33, to cause them to' properly coact with their respective folding blades 27,-28.'f Stationary cams 63, 64, are provided for opening the folding jaws .at the propert'ime to receive the groups of sheets at the folding operationr and for de-v groups of sheets to the A stationary 'cam 65 is-provided in posicylinder atI the proper times to deposit the successive groups of sheets into the pocketed delivery' carrier and for re'ceivin'g the groups of sheets fromY the female foldlng cyllnrotary cutters 4, 5, through the feed rolls 8, 9, tothe collecting cylinder 10. A collected group of four sheets is transferred every one and one-third Vrevolutions of the collecting" Vcylinder 10 to the rst transfer cylinder 15-every revolution thereof. The surface speed of thefeeding rollers `8, 9, the collecting cylinder 10 and the first transfer cylinder' 15, are the samebut-are slightly in excess of the speed of the web, as to give a space between the leading and back edges of each group of sheets forfpermitting the operation `of the grippers when transferring the group of sheets from' the collecting cylinder 10 kto the first transfer cylinder'15. Each group of sheets is transferred to the Vsecond transfer cylinder 20 'at a speed slightly in excess of the speed of the web and is slowed down by the second transfer cylinder, in the present instance to about onei half thespeed of the web and the group of sheets at this retarded speed is transferred to the -male' folding cylinder 23, whichcylinder travels at about half the speed of the web and takes two groups of sheets at each revolution the'reof. v The groups of sheets are foldedoif to the female folding cylinder 3() and are transferred therefrom tothe' de# livery cylinder '34 where the *groups of sheets may be slit; lengthwise oftheir travel and deposited intothe delivery carrier 37. Itv will thus be seen thati the folding 'mechanism can successfully operate upon sheets cut-from a web 'traveling at a much higher speed than heretofore thus materially increasing the output of the press. By the-term cylinder as used in the dei scription, I contemplate any suitable means for passing the sheets .y and signatures through the prescribed 'paths and by the term grippers I wishV to include any engaging devices suitable for the purpose of leading the sheets or signatures through 'said prescribed paths( Itisevident that' various changes may be resorted to in the construction, form and arrangement of the various parts without departing from the spirit and scope of myinvention, and hence I do-not wishto limit.

gradually retarding the sheets and feeding them to the folding mechanism at the speed thereof.

2. In a machine of the character described, means for cutting sheets from a traveling web, sheet folding mechanism traveling at about half the speed of the Web and means for gradually retarding the sheets and feeding them to the folding mechanism at the speed thereof.

3. In a machine of the character described, a sheet carrying mechanism traveling at a certain speed, a sheet folding mechanism traveling at a lesser speed and an interposed variable speed transfer mechanism.

4. In a machine of the character described, a sheet carrying mechanism traveling at a certain speed, a sheet folding mechanism traveling at a lesser speed and a variable speed transfer mechanism arranged to take the sheets at the speed of the carrying mechanism and transfer the sheets at the speed of the folding mechanism.

5. In a machine of the character de-4 scribed, a sheet collecting mechanism traveling at a certain speed, a sheet folding mechanism traveling at a lesser speed and an interposed variable speed transfer mechanism.

6. In a machine of the character described, a sheet collecting mechanism traveling at a certain speed, a sheet folding mechanism traveling at a lesser speed and a variable speed transfer mechanism arranged to take the sheets at the speed of the collecting mechanism and transfer the sheets at the speed of thefolding mechanism.

7 In a machine of the character described, a sheet carrying mechanism traveling at a certain speed, a sheet folding mechanism traveling at a lesser speed and a sheet transfer mechanism arranged to gradually retard the sheets as they pass from the carrying mechanism to the folding mechanism.

, 8. In a machine of the character described, a sheet collecting mechanism traveling at a certain speed, a sheet folding mechanism traveling at a lesser speed and a sheet transfer mechanism arranged to gradually retard the sheets as they pass from the co1- lecting mechanism to the folding mechanism.

9. In a machine of the character described, a sheet collecting cylinder traveling at a certain surface speed, a sheet folding cylinder traveling at a lesser surface speed and an interposed sheet transfer cylinder having a variable surface speed, operable to take the sheets at the speed of the collecting cylinder and to transfer the sheets at they speed of the folding cylinder.

10. In a machine of the character described, a sheet collecting cylinder traveling at a certain surface speed, a first sheet transfer cylinder traveling at the same surface speed, a sheet folding cylinder traveling at a lesser surface speed and a second sheet transfer cylinder having a variable surface speed, operable to take the sheets from the first transfer cylinder at the speed of the collecting cylinder and to transfer the sheets to the folding cylinder at the speed thereof. v 11. In a machine of the character described, means for cutting sheets from a traveling web, mechanism traveling4 at a little greater speed than the Web for collecting sheets cut therefrom, sheet folding mechanism traveling at a lesser speed and sheet transfer mechanism arranged to gradually retard the sheets as they pass from the collecting mechanism to the folding mechanism.

12. In a machine of the character described, means for cutting sheets from a traveling Web, mechanism traveling at a little greater speed than the Web for collecting sheets cut therefrom, .sheet folding mechanism traveling at a lesser speed and a variable speed transfer mechanism arranged to take the sheets at the speed of the collecting mechanism and to transfer the sheets at the speed of the folding mechanism.

13. In a machine of the character described, means for cutting sheets from a traveling Web, a sheet carrying cylinder traveling at a certain surface speed, sheet folding cylinders having two pairs of coacting folding-off devices traveling at about one-half the surface speed of the sheet carrying cylinder and a variable speed sheet transfer cylinder arranged to take the sheets from the carrying cylinder at the speed thereof and transfer the sheets to one of the folding cylinders at the speed thereof.

14. In a machine of thefcharacter described, means for cutting sheets from a traveling Web, a sheet collecting cylinder traveling at a surface speed slightly in eX- cess of that of the Web, a first sheet transfer cylinder traveling at the surface speed of the collecting cylinder, sheet folding cylinders traveling at about one-halfthe surface speed of the collecting and first transfer cylinders and a variable speed second sheet transfer cylinder arranged to take the sheets from the first transfer cylinder at the speed thereof and to transfer the sheets to one of the folding cylinders at the speed thereof.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name this twenty-seventh day of May, A. D. 1915.

HOWARD M.4 BARBER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

